Project 10073 Record Card and Spot Intelligence Report — 17 January 1955

This document consists of a series of reports, including a Project 10073 record card and a Spot Intelligence Report, detailing an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on 17 January 1955. Multiple informants, including Leonard R. Cole, Lowell Flon, and Wellon Bargean, reported observing an object in the vicinity of Yuma, Arizona, and South Gate, California. The witnesses described the object as a round, bright light, shaped like a light bulb, larger than a jet fighter, and emitting a white phosphorous glow. The object was observed at approximately 1730 hours, initially at a high altitude, before it dropped to a low altitude of approximately 40 feet and disappeared in a southeasterly direction. The witnesses noted that the object made no sound and left a long trail of fire. Captain Allan F. Druckrey of the 320th Bomb Wing at March AFB, California, compiled the intelligence report. The report notes that March Flight Service received a phone call from a civilian who observed the object, and that other observers also reported the sighting. The investigation concluded that the object was likely a meteor, citing its trajectory, appearance, and the short duration of the sighting (approximately two seconds). The report was forwarded by the 5th District OSI to the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson AFB. No further action was contemplated by the 13th District OSI.